Were the .380 guns you shot blowback or locked breech designs? I find the Beretta Cheetah and similar guns snappy and they are all blowback designs. My wife uses a Sig P250SC in 380 and that has very little recoil and is very easy to rack.

Sig had the 380 locked breech/easy to rack market cornered with the P250 Compact and Subcompact and the P290 RS. Then they stopped making them!! Yes, I know they still sell the P238, but MANY folks don't want an exposed hammer gun, it's just how it is.

I've been hoping for a P320 compact in 380, but if folks like the OP are advising Sig, I guess we won't see them in the US.

My wife's buddy is trying to master a SCCY-CPX2 in 9mm. It's not going well. Gave her the P250SC 380 to shoot and she was MUCH happier. SCCY made some 380 guns but stopped production because of tolerance issues. If they get that issue sorted, it will be a great addition to the market.

The Shield EZ is a great idea, but I wonder if the grip/frame safety combo is a step too far. One or the other would be better, IMHO. Why S&W did not simply make a 380 striker fired Shield I cannot fathom. The basic design is cost amortized, so a lighter spring and shorter chamber should be simple mods.

I have read it is hammer fired, But is it DAO or DA/SA? No spec's on that or trigger weight. Maybe I missed it? Also... Locked Breech or Blowback?

Single action, 6lb trigger (according to shooting illustrated) and locked breech. You cannot make a blowback 380 easy to rack with a light spring unless you give it a slide that weighs about 1.5 pounds.

Most women will carry their weapon in a purse.
This pistol is perfect.
Tired of these tiny ones causing slide recoil cuts on the shooter's hand!
With today's 380 hollow points, theyare now considered a true killer.
Congratulations Smith&Wesson for listening and producing an especially effective self-defense weapon for women and old men!

Single action, 6lb trigger (according to shooting illustrated) and locked breech. You cannot make a blowback 380 easy to rack with a light spring unless you give it a slide that weighs about 1.5 pounds.

Big news: A model without the thumb safety is also available.

GO rack a slide on an old Walther PPK or PPK/s. Those were a bear to shoot

I agree, if they removed the grip safety this would be a far more attractive gun. I cannot think of a single reason to include one on a gun that already has a thumb safety, unless there is just some huge crowd of new gun buyers clamoring for two manual safeties that I haven't encountered....

This looks like a fantastic option for my 77 year old mother. The has revolvers now, because she has strength issues with racking the slide, but she also has trouble with the long heavy trigger on the revolver. If she could rack the slide on this and have a lighter trigger, it'd be the perfect home defense gun for her. It also takes only a quick look on the S&W site to see that it's available without the thumb safety, in which case the grip safety makes a bit more sense.

Great question... if it is a tilting barrel/locked breech gun, it would have milder recoil than a blowback design, and be even better suited for the likely market for it. (A lot of people are surprised by the recoil of the "little" .380, but it is the often the result of the blowback design and light weight of many 380s).

On the trigger: I suspect the Shield 380 EZ does not have a light, short trigger -- as some have speculated. Rather, a fairly long and at least moderately heavy - 8 lbs? - "revolver-like" trigger would fit the goal of a practically safe design that is easily mastered by the intended audience.

On smith-wesson.com the trigger is described as ďCrisp, light trigger with tactile and audible trigger reset.Ē Time will tell.

One would assume S&W has done some market research on this and found some interest. One way or another, the market will decide if itís a viable carry gun for a niche market, or a Dodo weíll chuckle about on the forum ten years down the road.

As for me, Iím interested in anything that can bring more people to shooting, or let people with physical limitations participate in sport or self defense.

To each his own. The Model 27 was not irrelevant because you could get a M57 or M29 on the same frame. S&W does quite well selling Shields in 9mm, 40 S&W and .45 ACP. I was planning on buying a .45 Shield last year when I won a 9mm in a raffle. It has a manual safety I would not have ordered had a bought the gun. I have come to appreciate both the 9mm and the safety.

Despite all the Debbie-downers, as soon as the LGS range gets some, I'll take the wife over to try it. They usually have a free "try it out" promotion when one of the bigger mfgs' comes out with a new model.
I do believe there is a market for this, particularly with newcomers and women. I kinda like the button on the magazine follower if it's easy to manipulate. My 45 Shield mags were a bear to load the first few times, even with help from the uplula.

1911's have a thumb safety so a grip safety is not needed!
In fact JMB designed the 1911 without it but the Army demanded one be added!
Since the 1970's I've shot at least twenty 1911's and none had a "light trigger"!

JMB liked the grip safety and incorporated one in the original design for the pistol that became the 1911. The Army demanded the addition of a thumb safety.

As to a light trigger, in this video Jerry Miculek says the .380 Shield has "the lightest trigger I have ever seen on a Smith & Wesson product."

SW is not listening to their customers. Heres another handgun just proving they are swinging in the dark hoping the have a 'winner'. Seriously, how long did it take for the 2.0 compact to compete with G19? Grip safety, your not a 1911! if i wanted a grip safety thats not a 1911, i'd get a Springfield. SW, I think your near your end or have to much money to waste on stupid projects.

Personally, it's not for me but I can see where it offers many features that will appeal to many.
I've seen a lot of negative comments about the grip safety, but to me I think it is a good idea for people who aren't the most experienced in handling firearms and especially for those that are worried about accidental discharges.
Having the grip safety gives an extra line of protection to prevent AD's for example if you're pocket carrying or a woman is carrying it in a purse. It might be possible to accidentally catch the trigger and fire the weapon accidentally, but now with the grip safety you have a back up safety that would help prevent that. It's also a safety that you don't have to consciously think about clicking off if you need your firearm in a hurry, because it automatically disengages the safety when you grip the gun.
Like I said, it's not for me but I can see it filling the needs of a lot of potential gun owners. I hope it does well.

SW is not listening to their customers. Heres another handgun just proving they are swinging in the dark hoping the have a 'winner'. Seriously, how long did it take for the 2.0 compact to compete with G19? Grip safety, your not a 1911! if i wanted a grip safety thats not a 1911, i'd get a Springfield. SW, I think your near your end or have to much money to waste on stupid projects.

Perhaps they are listening to the people they WANT to be customers who are not already. If you don't like it, don't buy it. it's that simple.

For all those bashing this gunÖ Just because you cannot comprehend why someone would want this, does not mean that others don't see its benefits and value in the market. It's a given that the vast majority of those posting on forums like this are middle-age guys... not the market for this gun. This would be the ideal gun for my 84-year-old father-in-law or my 70-year-old mother. A 9mm, even the size of the shield, will kick too much and be too difficult to manipulate for this older generation. I love that S&W came out with this gun. If you don't like it just ignore it, but don't ignore it's benefits or target market.

How many threads/posts did we see on this forum about new 9mm Shield owners complaining how hard it was to rack the slide and/or load the magazine? They wanted something that was easier to load and rack. S&W listened.

SW is not listening to their customers. Heres another handgun just proving they are swinging in the dark hoping the have a 'winner'. Seriously, how long did it take for the 2.0 compact to compete with G19? Grip safety, your not a 1911! if i wanted a grip safety thats not a 1911, i'd get a Springfield. SW, I think your near your end or have to much money to waste on stupid projects.

Stupid all the way to the bank.
We spend way too much time looking at things from our own "narrow" viewpoint. Narrow, in the sense that we don't look at something as useful to others, only if it suits us and us alone.
These days, everything gets market-tested and polled and focus-grouped to the nth degree before it's brought to the general public. Big companies become big companies because they are relatively certain their product has a chance of selling well. Are there exceptions? Of course. Nothing is perfect. But they're entitled to try. And you never know, the folks it IS geared toward might love it.
Clearly, this gun isn't "perfect" in some folks' eyes. That's OK. I just don't see how getting all PO'ed and almost "insulting" about it is so important. Sheesh.

This is the coolest thing Iíve seen in awhile. I totally am getting one of these. It seems that SW was listening to everyone. The 1911 guys and the guys that say ďwith modern bullet technology the 9mm is just as equal as the 40.Ē Seems the 380 is now equal to the old 9mm!!! And this is such a modern version of my Grandfathers 1908 Colt Hammerless. I love this. America is awesome!!!

I want to see one before passing judgment. Itís aimed at women and an age group we will all will get to, sooner or later. I donít see anything wrong with it, but Iíve always considered most manual safeties a plus rather than a minus.

The cost of .380 ammunition does seem to be coming down lately, which should be helpful. I think itís a great idea, though personally I might have preferred striker-fired over hammerless. Maybe there is some advantage to the hammerless design I am missing?

Proof that S&W listens to it consumers and dealers. This pistol will meet the need of arthritis sufferers and those with minimal hand strength. To those who lament its looks, beauty doesnít win gunfights nor stop aggression....

It's really kind of fascinating to read this post, so many different opinions.

What's hard to understand is why there are so many that are so outspoken to the point of sounding really ticked off that S&W came out with this model.

It's not for some, I understand that, but it does have features that many will find helpful, and many will buy this firearm because of those features.

But to constantly criticize the decision to make this gun just because it's not what you want in a handgun just baffles me. S&W offers the Shield, and all of their handguns in many different models to appeal to just about everyone. If this particular model isn't for you, then fine, but it might be just what someone else is looking for.

Instead of being so critical and denouncing this model because it's isn't your cup of tea, just be thankful that S&W is listening and is trying to come out with models that offer everyone what they want.

In their press release S&W stated this firearm was designed and produced based on feedback from their market research. Hardly sounds like a"solution in search of a problem" to me. Then again, I'm not looking for a 50 cal pistol with a 40 round magazine that I can conceal in my front pocket.

In their press release S&W stated this firearm was designed and produced based on feedback from their market research. Hardly sounds like a"solution in search of a problem" to me. Then again, I'm not looking for a 50 cal pistol with a 40 round magazine that I can conceal in my front pocket.